Imperial estate (Roman)

This article is about imperial estates in the Roman Empire. For the constituents of the Holy Roman Empire, see Imperial Estate.

An imperial estate (patrimonium or res privata)[1] in the Roman Empire it was the "personal property of members of the imperial family, as distinct from property belonging to the Roman state" (ager publicus).[2] On the Emperor's death, these properties passed to his successor, and not to his private heirs.[1]

Imperial estates were not only farming estates, or latifundia, but also pastures (saltus) and mines (metalla).[3] Management of imperial estates within a province was the responsibility of a procurator who, in turn, reported to the procurator patrimonii in Rome.[1] The procurator leased the estate to a conductor, a contractor, or administrator. On small estates, the conductor might farm the land himself. On larger tracts, the conductor sub-let the land to coloni, tenant-farmers. Coloni were free men, and not bound to the land like later serfs. The coloni paid the conductor in shares of their crops, and were also obliged to perform other services a few days a year.[4]

"At one period or another there seem to have been estates in most provinces of the empire." Estates were acquired in various ways: by "confiscation, acquisition by conquest and inheritance." Imperial estates might be disposed of through sales or given as gifts, to individuals, to temples, and later to christian churches. Land which remained imperial property was usually leased out.[5] It is difficult to estimate how much land was directly owned by the emperor. In North Africa in the fifth century, land registers show that he owned around 15–18%.[6]

  1. ^ a b c Burton, Graham (2016). "patrimonium and res privata". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.4783. ISBN 978-0-19-938113-5. Retrieved Feb 12, 2021. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Tacoma, Laurens E. (2012). "Imperial estates, Egypt". The Encyclopedia of Ancient History. doi:10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah07044. ISBN 9781444338386. Retrieved Feb 11, 2021.
  3. ^ Boissier, Gaston (1899). Roman Africa. G.P.Putnam's sons. pp. 184–185.
  4. ^ Clausing, Roth (1925). The Roman Colonate: The Theories of Its Origin. Columbia University. pp. 139–144. Retrieved Feb 12, 2021.
  5. ^ Crawford, Dorothy J. (1976). Finley, Moses I (ed.). Imperial Estates (PDF). Cambridge University Research Seminar in Ancient History. pp. 35–70. doi:10.1017/CBO9781107297920. ISBN 9780521211154. Retrieved Feb 11, 2021. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  6. ^ Duncan-Jones, R.P. (1976). Finley, Moses I (ed.). Some Configurations of Landholding in the Roman Empire (PDF). Cambridge University Research Seminar in Ancient History. p. 4. doi:10.1017/CBO9781107297920. ISBN 9780521211154. Retrieved Feb 12, 2021. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)